Yes, it is exceedingly common to have both tachycardia and even short runs of AF during the blanking period. In fact, the latest science suggests that if one has some short runs of AF early in the blanking period, it is a much better sign than being AF-free for several weeks and then to start having some AF show up late in the blanking period. Bottom line, though, is that each heart gets to say how it feels about what was done to it. Each heart starts an ablation with a different history and a different condition, not to mention valve condition, enlargement of the atrium, state of heart failure if that is part of the history, and so on. We're all unique when we lie back on the gurney. Similarly, unless the ablation has missed something, we'll all experience something unique during our recovery. Some people report that they had elevated HR for many months, but over time it began to slow and now they're normally at 70 BPM.

The heart has been roughly handled. It will be cranky. It might have been cranky for some time if you had been having a lot of PACs or AF in the weeks prior to the surgery.

One other common fact is that people who have otherwise successful ablations will break into flutter. Their AF will go away, which is great, but suddenly their heart rate soars to 180 plus. This will be flutter, and it can sometimes, not often, be corrected by a cardioversion at the ER, or the EP will want to go in again and correct what he knows to be missing from the first effort at ablation. Flutter is often easier to fix than the initial AF that started the whole ball of wax.

Finally, don't be too dismayed if your first ablation doesn't work. The failure rate across the global medical community is about 25%. It's a tricky procedure, and remember that each heart has its own history and unique expression of AF, which the EP has to figure out while he/she's in there poking around. The great news is that a second ablation enjoys a predicted 80% success rate, which, when added to the 75% success rate of the first effort, makes for a pretty salutary outcome for anyone who finds that their first ablation didn't quite work.